


See The Way He Walks Down The Street

by caspian



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Artist Steve Rogers, Gen, M/M, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Pre-Slash, Skinny!Steve, Work In Progress, fratboy!Bucky, oh man i have ideas, this is just the beginning
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-22
Updated: 2015-03-31
Packaged: 2018-03-14 13:37:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3412613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caspian/pseuds/caspian
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bucky lives on frat row. Steve has to pass the house on his way to campus everyday.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Bang Bang Into the Room

* * *

* * *

_See the way he walks down the street_

_Watch the way he shuffles his feet_

_My, he holds his head up high_

_As he goes walking by, he’s my guy_

-[He’s a Rebel](http://youtu.be/tDirKYEotwQ)

 

* * *

 

He shoved open the window and a loud screech filled the room and he winced, turning down his hearing aid as he opened it as wide as he could. He held his face close to the screen but couldn’t feel any relief from the heat. Much to the dismay of the windows, he proceeded to open them in attempts to get a cross breeze going through the apartment.

Living on the third floor had its benefits and detriments. On one hand, they weren’t on the first floor, so a break in was way less likely to occur, they also didn’t have anyone living above them, so they didn’t have to worry about any other noise. However, the only way to the third floor were steep stairs that had given Steve an asthma attack while he was moving in. Not like he had a ton of stuff, but still.

He opened up the back door and stood on a little balcony. There was a very slight breeze but the apartment was already too hot to cool down by opening a few windows. He opened up his laptop and looked up a campus map, his schedule, and Google maps. It was a little over half a mile to campus from here. He wrote down the class room numbers in one of his smaller sketch books, shoved it in a canvas bag, and headed out the door, locking it behind him. He very luckily lived on the shady side of the street and started off towards campus.

The thick August heat felt like it slowed everything down. The cars seemed to be driving more slowly, bugs seemed infinitely louder, and Steve sauntered down the street, trying to keep from sweating as much as possible. The sweat was inevitable however and he had to wipe his forehead with the back of his hand a mere block away from his apartment. _Maybe I should have waited to go find my classes,_ he thought.

His hearing aid was still turned down from the window shrieking and he turned it up slightly as he walked. He could hear a heavy bass line coming from somewhere, maybe a car, he thought. As he got closer, he could see guys in tank tops and shorts standing outside, some moving lounge chairs out on to the lawn.

Across the street, he could see girls laying on towels and bikinis on their front lawns, chatting with their sunglasses on. A house down from that, there were people sitting on top of the roof, red solo cups in hand and music pouring out of the windows down to the street. The distinct chatter and competing top 40 music of frat row now surrounded Steve from all sides.

Steve immediately started getting nervous about what he was wearing. He had on a thin white t-shirt and some cut off light wash jeans and had thrown on his old pair of army green Toms that were faded from the summer sun.

 _I look good,_ he thought, _or at least okay. Why does it even matter? Who am I trying to impress?_ And then he saw him, the one he should have been trying to impress.

Tall, dark haired, and handsome came running backwards across the street towards Steve, yelling, “I got it! I got it!” to a smiling crowd of guys standing out front. Steve was too distracted by watching the planes of the guy’s toned skin visible under his stretched out grey tank top to notice his trajectory.

The guy backed into Steve’s skinny frame, sending Steve falling forward onto the front lawn of a sorority. There was a chorus of laughter that erupted from the guys across the street as the Frisbee sailed over them.

“I’m so sorry!” the guy said, putting a hand on Steve’s shoulder to try and help Steve up. Steve could still hear the frat boys laughing and he felt the heat rising in his cheeks when he felt another hand on his forearm as the guy tried to help him up.

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t see you.”

“Yeah,” said Steve, cursing his ineloquence. He squinted up at the guy and realized he must have lost his glasses in the process of falling. He turned around and spotted the outline of the thick frames. He quickly bent down to grab them, shoved them on, and heard the guy yell a final “sorry!” as he walked away.

 _Fuck frat row_ , thought Steve, as the laughter followed him down the street.

 

* * *

 

 _Way to make a good first impression, Barnes_ , Bucky thought to himself as he grabbed the Frisbee from a bush. Playing the scene over in his mind, Bucky thought about the guy’s bright blue eyes and fucking perfect pink lips and Bucky wanted to just hide in the bush with the Frisbee for at least five minutes so he could forget the whole thing.

The guy wouldn’t even look at him when he said he was sorry. Well, why would he after he shoved him over? And the way he bent over…Bucky did not check out his ass, but if he did he would have given it a 10, like damn. He watched the guy hurriedly walking down the street towards campus. Bucky sighed deeply as he watched him go, the shorts doing all sorts of right things for him and his white t-shirt glowing in the sun.

“Barnes,” Dugan shouted from the front yard and held his hand up. Bucky flung the Frisbee across the street and gave the blonde one last look before he passed out of sight.

 

* * *

 

The sun went down and sweet relief of dusk washed over the street. The parties along the street had started in earnest now, people flowing in and out and between houses down the street. Bucky and Jim had carried a ping-pong table out onto the lawn about an hour ago and Bucky had already beaten Jim and James and was now in the process of playing Gabe.

A definite buzz had settled into his bones. He purposely took the side of the table that faced campus just in case that guy walked by again, not that he knew what he would say to him, but he wanted to see what he looked like again.

At this point in the evening, there were so many people crowding the sidewalks, Bucky really had to monitor all the various people streaming past him on the street. He had the advantage of the lawn being slightly raised off of the ground and set into a knee-high brick wall. Every time Bucky thought he saw blond hair or a white t-shirt, he tried to manage a subtle double take. Gabe scored and let out a bark of laughter. Bucky picked up the cup and polished off the lukewarm beer, watching the crowd around his cup.

“Is someone meeting you here or something?” said Gabe.

“What?”

“Are you waiting for someone? It looks like you’re looking for someone.”

“Nah, just checking out all the newbies,” said Bucky, shrugging and looking over towards the street again.

“Okay, but just know you look weird,” said Gabe, sinking another cup. He howled as Bucky chugged the next cup and tossed the ball back to him. Gabe was laughing as he aimed again and Bucky yelled, “Watch out!” and pointed behind Gabe’s shoulder. Gabe turned to look what was behind him and missed the table and it was Bucky’s turn to laugh as Gabe realized there was nothing there.

Bucky scored and Gabe took a disgruntled swig as Bucky smiled widely and laughed. A new song played throughout the house and the yard and Bucky swayed back and forth to the music, moving his hips in a small figure eight as he scored against Gabe again. He put his arms up and started dancing in earnest, feeling the warm spread of alcohol roaming through his body, loosening his limbs and his rationality as he pushed his hips back pretending to grind against someone invisible behind him.

 

* * *

 

 Steve weaved through the crowd, trying to stay towards the inside of the sidewalk so he wasn’t easily visible from the house across the street. Hundreds of people were meandering down the street, catching up with friends they didn’t see over the summer or trying to meet up with other groups of people. Much to Steve’s dismay, the crowd he was somewhat hiding behind decided to cross the street, leaving a gaping space around where Steve was walking.

He told himself he wouldn’t look over there. He spent a good hour in an outdoor patio outside of a coffee shop, drinking iced tea and sketching in the shade and tried not to think about the walk back home. As he walked campus, he came up with a plan, which was to not look over there so there wasn’t even a chance they would have to talk again. But here Steve was, looking.

And there he was, standing on the lawn laughing as his friend grimaced as he drank his beer. And then Steve watched in horror and awe as the guy slowly began rolling his hips in a circle and then backwards repeatedly. Steve was pretty sure he had a semi and knew he should look away but definitely couldn’t. He was transfixed in shock and arousal as the guy danced slowly, his eyes closed and a cat like grin stretched across his face. Steve was pretty sure he was in love and that realization sent him practically running down the street back to his apartment.

Steve almost cried out with delight and distress at the thought that this was what his walk to school was going to be like for the rest of the year.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Title: Bang Bang by Jessie J, Ariana Grande, and Nicki Minaj


	2. I Put Up, My Hands Up

Steve only had a vague idea of where this apartment was located when he agreed to move in with Clint. He knew it was on the opposite side of campus from where he lived previously and much closer to where the two of them worked.

Towards the end of last semester, Sam and Steve had been looking at places to live off-campus for their junior year and stumbled across a terrible ad for what turned out to be a pretty nice apartment and nearly cried laughing when they realized Clint had posted it.

The craigslist ad included two pictures of an incredibly messy apartment, one of them blurry, and was titled “TWO ROOMMATES WANTED FOR 3BR APARTMENT,” and included no other description besides the location. Steve figured out the ad was Clint’s when he noticed one something he had drawn Clint one night while they were bored at work. It was a drawing of a shirtless and muscular Clint juggling machetes, done in black sharpie.

The drawing was still taped on to the fridge despite it being slightly wrinkled with splotches of grease staining the page. Clint lived there all summer but spent a good portion of his time at archery practice when he wasn’t working or with Natasha.

Steve had seen Clint two days ago when he moved in and hadn’t seen him since. Sam was supposed to be arriving later that day.

Steve’s room came with a small twin bed shoved up against the wall and a cheap Ikea desk and dresser that had been left behind by Clint’s old roommate. Steve moved the dresser into the closet to give his room a little more floor space. He set up his easel in the corner and taped up some of his favorite work; small quick sketches of buildings or landscapes and one large drawing of the Brooklyn Bridge he had done when he was still living in New York.

He lay back on his bed and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath in and dozing off.

Steve had no idea how much time had past when the front door slammed open and Sam quickly yelled, “Sorry! Guess I don’t know my own strength.”

Steve rolled his eyes and smiled as he propped himself up on his elbows. Sam walked past his door and smiled wide when he saw Steve.

“Hey,” said Steve, sitting up fully.

“Hey, you done setting up in here already?” said Sam, eyes searching the room, flicking from drawing to drawing.

“Yep, this is it in all its glory.”

“I like that,” Sam pointed to the left of his window, “that’s new, yeah?”

Steve turned to look at the charcoal sketch of Bethesda Fountain and nodded.

“Well, if you’re all done in here, looks like you get to help me unpack all of the dishes,” said Sam, turning away from Steve’s room and back down the hallway. Steve followed Sam to the living room where Sam was sliding a cardboard box across the floor, clearly labeled ‘dishes.’

“I think Clint might already have some dishes,” said Steve, eyeing the large, clearly heavy, box.

“Sure,” said Sam, opening up the cabinet and revealing nothing but a box of Cheez-its, and turning to look at Steve, eyebrow raised and a smirk curling the corners of his mouth.

“Shoulda known,” said Steve, bending down and pulling filler paper out from the top of the box.

“Yep, I’ll be back,” said Sam, walking out the front door.

* * *

"Okay, okay, quiet down everybody!" Dum Dum yelled from the top of the staircase.

"There seems to be some problem with the noise permit as in, someone," he eyed Dernier angrily, "forgot to submit the form. So there's no party tonight."

The news elicited a loud groan from all the brothers who had spent a good hour trying to clean up the place after last night. Not that they were doing a particularly good job, but at least most of the liquid spills were now covered with a heap of paper towels.

"But it's the Friday before school starts!" yelled someone from the dining room which was currently hosting a beer pong table, not that the net mid-table stopped anyone from eating there anyways.

"We had a party last night and we'll have one tomorrow, so have fun tonight, just not here." Dum Dum turned back towards his room and half the guys dropped whatever they were holding to pull out their phones.

Gabe walked over to Bucky, who continued to do a half-assed mop job of the kitchen because it had taken him so long to find the mop and anything to clean the floor with he figured he might as well just finish.

"So, what do you wanna do tonight?" asked Gabe, looking at the dirty bucket of water that Bucky was attempting to not get all over himself.

"No idea, figured I would just walk around and see if any place is going to let any guys in without girls." Bucky scrubbed a particularly dark, once sticky, spot in the middle of the floor.

"SEO would let you in," Gabe smirked and leaned against the door frame.

"I mean, who wouldn't," said Bucky, now completely fixated on the floor, refusing to look up at Gabe.

"Uh huh," said Gabe, grinning, and he walked out of the kitchen.

Bucky paused for a moment. SEO was the gay frat on campus, they had a house, if you could call it a frat house, that was a few blocks off of frat row.

Bucky was fine hooking up with other guys, some of the frat brothers knew, Dum Dum was one of them, Bucky's pretty sure he kept them all in check if they had anything nasty to say about some guy with mussed up hair and a blissed out smile on his face leaving Bucky's room.

Bucky had just never gone to the house, it was like he was easing his way into being okay with being seen with guys in public and SEO would have felt like making too huge of a leap.

He finished mopping the kitchen, zoned out thinking about what Gabe thought, where to go tonight, and the blond he had pushed over and if Bucky would ever see him again.

* * *

Sam and Steve hummed Marvin Gaye songs as they somehow managed to find more things to put away in the kitchen. Steve thought on the fourth trip Sam finally finished bringing his stuff up to the apartment, but Steve was now unpacking his the 8th box out of the 12 that surrounded him.

"Where did all of this stuff even come from?" said Steve.

"My aunts are hoarders." The door flew open.

"Hey, boys," said Natasha, holding two huge bags of what smelled like the best and most deserved Chinese food Steve had ever smelled in his life.

"How did you know?" said Steve, scrambling up to meet her along with Sam.

"I saw you yesterday Rogers and Clint told me Sam was moving in today so I thought I would say hi and bring you a house warming gift." She set the food down on the circular table, "is that dishware I see?"

"It is," said Sam and he grabbed them plates as Natasha took a seat with Steve.

"You saw me yesterday?" asked Steve, feeling like he would remember spying Natasha's hair but she was sneakier than he could even comprehend.

"Mhm," she said, "you fell on my front lawn."

"You fell?" asked Sam, "doing what?"

"Oh, god," said Steve, putting his head down on the table.

"What happened?" asked Sam, excitedly.

"He was checking out this guy," smiled Natasha, opening a box of potstickers.

"I-" said Steve, falling short and causing Sam to let out a huge laugh. Steve slapped Sam on the arm, "It wasn't funny! This guy like ran me over and I fell in front of a whole bunch of people."

"Sounds kinda funny," said Sam, around a bite of chow mein.

"Whatever," said Steve, glaring at his plate.

"You should talk to him," said Natasha.

"Why?"

"He's nice, you'd like him and the probably feels bad still about what happened."

"How do you know him?" interjected Sam.

"Didn't seem like he felt bad, seemed like he and his frat bros were loving it."

"That's not what happened," said Natasha softly and Steve glared at his food even harder.

"Surprised you didn't get in a fight, Steve," grinned Sam.

"Eat up, boys," said Natasha, "we've got quite a night ahead of us."

"What do you have in mind?" asked Sam. Natasha responded with pulling a bottle of vodka out of her purse and slamming it down on to the table.

* * *

Bucky woke up from his nap to a knock on his door.

"Bucky?" said Gabe from the hall. Bucky crossed the room and opened his door.

"Hey, what's up?"

"I was wondering if you figured out any plans for tonight," asked Gabe.

"Nope, do you?"

"The sorority across the street is having a party if you want to go out tonight," said Gabe.

"Umm, maybe," said Bucky, which clearly surprised Gabe, never knowing Bucky to turn down an invitation, but catching on quickly.

"She lives there?" Falsworth asked.

"Yeah," said Bucky looking at his bare feet on the hardwood floor.

"Well, it has been a while now, hasn't it?"

"Oh yeah, its been like two years, it's just a tiny bit weird, you know?" Gabe nodded in response.

"I'll see if I can get in somewhere else, and if not, or after I'm drunk, I'll meet up with you there."

"Right, see you later then," said Gabe as he headed back down the hall.

"Yep," called Bucky, mentally planning what he was going to wear, especially if at any point he was going to see Natasha.

* * *

 Natasha left after they finished eating, saying she needed to get ready for tonight but she'd meet them in front of her sorority at 10:00.

She also mentioned the vodka was her real house-warming gift and it came with a post-it note that said, 'welcome to the neighborhood, boys."

By 9:00, Sam and Steve were done unpacking all of Sam's boxes and decided to drink a celebratory shot with Clint who had just gotten off of work.

"Clint, you okay?" said Sam, as Clint lay face down on the couch after they took their shot.

"I just need like a five minute nap," said Clint, into the couch cushions.

"Five minute nap won't do anything," replied Sam, "you need at least 20 in order to gain anything from it at all."

"I just need like a 20 minute nap then," mumbled Clint.

"We're going to take a shot without you," said Sam, teasing, but Clint was already asleep.

"Are we actually?" said Steve, kind of hoping they would considering this would be his possibly only night out all semester.

"If you can," smiled Sam. Steve shoved him and poured them another shot.

"To junior year," Sam toasted as their tiny shot glasses clinked together. It was good vodka and as Steve put the shot glasses in the sink, he could feel a warmth in his bones and he smiled at nothing in particular as Sam left to change for the party.

"What are you going to wear?" called Sam from the other room.

"I have no idea," said Steve, mentally combing through his closet.

"How's this?" said Sam, appearing in the doorway, boxer briefs and no shirt.

"Really good," said Steve, nodding heavily, "You'll definitely impress all of the ladies."

"Steve, your sarcasm stings me," Sam replied as he retreated back into his room.

"I'm not being sarcastic!" said Steve, using the wall for support.

"If you're going to change, go change, you know Natasha hates when we're late," Sam called from his room.

"Tell that to Clint," said Steve.

"Okay, really, how do I look?" Sam stood in his doorway, dark jeans, and a black v-neck.

"That's what I was going to wear," said Steve soberly, "one of us is going to have to change."

* * *

They arrived at the sorority at 10:01 and we're being dragged along by Clint who was practically running to meet up with Natasha.

Sam and Steve were walking in sync with each other but it was taking a lot of their effort and tipsy concentration, leaving them to fall slightly behind.

Music was blasting from every house except the infamous frat house across the street, that was quiet, with its doors shut. Steve ended up wearing a white button up short sleeve shirt and dark wash jeans.

"Always such a hipster, Steve," said Natasha, when Steve and Sam finally caught up.

Steve shrugged and replied, "I try."

"Let's go," said Natasha and she breezed through the door into the dark house that was packed with hundreds of people.

He could feel the base line reverberating in his chest and followed Natasha to an area where people were dancing and then she and Clint were swallowed whole by the crowd and someone was already eyeing Sam from across the room.

Steve patted him on the shoulder and Sam mouthed, "you sure?" Steve rolled his eyes and nodded, walking away as the girl started to make her way across the room towards Sam.

Steve ended up in the basement, which was a lot nicer than he thought it would be. Two beer pong tables had been set up parallel to each other in the room, couches and chairs lined the walls and the room was entirely lit by about 30 strands of string lights which gave the room a warm, dark glow.

The music wasn't as loud down here either and there was a small window open that was letting in a much needed breeze.

A game was going on at one table and people were just standing at one end of the other table. There weren't any spots on the couches but Steve felt awkward walking down here just to turn around and walk right back up. He picked up a ping pong ball and rolled it between his fingers, glancing around the room, trying to decide if he should go back upstairs or not.

The buzz from the double shots hadn't warn off fully, but he was beginning to feel a little self-conscious which was always a sign that he was sobering up.

"Want to play?" someone asked and Steve looked up. A girl with dark hair, bright red lipstick, and wicked eyes smiled at him and gestured towards the table.

"Sure, why not?" said Steve, a little nervous someone this attractive was talking to him but glad that someone rescued him from his solitary struggle. She set up red cups and filled them each with about an inch of beer that she pulled out from a case under the table.

"You live here?" asked Steve.

"Yes, I do," she responded, "I have the home advantage."

"Well, you can go first," said Steve.

"Big mistake, but I'll take it," she responded. She sunk the first cup and Steve nodded and drank the beer that was miraculously still a bit cold, handing the ball back to the girl, who smirked at him.

"I realize that now," said Steve as she scored again. She let out a little chuckle as Steve drank his second cup.

She missed on her third attempt and groaned and a couple people had come downstairs and started chatting around the table. Steve scored on his first try and let out an involuntary, "yes!" "I think it's a bit soon to start celebrating," said the girl.

Steve closed one of his eyes for show and over shot on accident. She caught the ball as it flew past the table.

It was her turn to laugh as she aimed and scored and cried out, "Drink!" Steve liked this girl a lot but he also knew he was infinitely outmatched.

Twenty minutes later, she had one cup left to score and Steve had five. At this point, they had accumulated a small audience who were mostly cheering for the girl, Peggy, whose name kept getting chanted every time she went to make a shot.

Steve felt not only a tad bit neglected, but he also was now past tipsy and feeling very competitive.

When Peggy missed after scoring three times in a row, Steve let out a loud, "HA!" and immediately looked a little taken aback by what had just come out of his mouth. That caused Peggy to laugh and she continued chuckling as she drank her beer.

"This stuff tastes disgusting," said Steve.

"Oh, it's horrible," smiled Peggy as she carefully began setting up her shot, "it's a shame you're going to have to finish off this cup as well," and she scored. She yelled, "yes!" and slammed her fist on the table. Steve groaned loudly and finished off the beer.

"I never asked you name," she said, lining the cups back up into formation.

"Steve," he said, grinning up at her, the beer filling his bones with warmth.

"Peggy," she said, "how are you feeling?"

"I'm good, I'm good," smiled Steve, "although, I'm kind of feeling like we might need to have a re-match."

* * *

so i'm drunk and i'm coming over

Read 12:43am

haha k we're at the sorority

Read 12:43am

where at?

Read 12:44am

basement some girl is whoopin this guys ass at beer pong its hilarious

Read 12:44am

k see you soon

Read 12:44am

oh shit i think he's making a comeback

Sent 12:48am

* * *

Bucky walked up to the front door and flashed the girl at the door his best smile, bit his lip, and tilted his head back. She let him in without a single word.

It was dark and the music was loud inside, it was almost 1am and almost all of the alcohol was gone so he just tried to make his way to Gabe in the basement, stopping to say hi to a couple people.

He descended the stairs and thought he must have read the text wrong after he closed the door. He couldn't see the whole basement yet but it was almost completely silent as he walked down the stairs.

* * *

Almost complete silence filled the room.

Peggy aimed and Steve gave her a hard glare across the table, face full of anticipation and determination. Steve was also fully drunk.

Miraculously, it was as if the more he drank, the better he got, which put him on an equal playing field with Peggy, who's aim became slightly more and more off the more she drank.

Sam was standing close to his left in the now crowded room. Peggy and Steve had been pulling an audience for a half hour in their head to head, most people too drunk to find something better to do besides get invested in this game.

Steve heard the door to the basement close and made Peggy made her shot as he listened to someone descend the stairs.

* * *

A huge, booming groan burst from the basement as Bucky stepped on the bottom stair.

A dark haired girl put her face in her hands for a moment and then looked up at her opponent, eyes fierce, cheeks red, hair pushed back, and red lipstick flawless.

"What the hell?"

"Bucky, hey," said Gabe, waving him over to the opposite side of the room.

"Hey, what the hell is going on?" Bucky said quietly.

"Shhh," said Jim, who was trying to get a better view, which was difficult as a the three foot wall of people surrounded the table.

"Intense game, they both have a cup left, any shot is the final shot now," Gabe whispered into Bucky's ear as Bucky tried to stretch to see who this girl was playing.

* * *

Steve closed one of his eyes and began swinging his arm slightly, visually lining up the shot. Trying to block out all of the whispering around him and concentrating on the final cup.

* * *

All Bucky could see was the top of a blond haired head and something sparked in his veins, his heart picked up pace. The room around him burst.

* * *

Steve scored. The room exploded into cheers and groans and Steve threw both of his arms up into the air in triumph. Sam grabbed him around the middle and yelled as he picked him up. 

* * *

Bucky saw him, lifted up above the rest of the crowd, a magnificent smile across his face, arms in the air. Something bright bloomed in Bucky's chest, a kind of light that felt like it would burst out of him.

* * *

Peggy walked around the table. "Good game," she said and held out her hand to Steve. He shook it and she pulled him in by the front of his shirt, kissing him full on the lips and eliciting a yell from the crowd. 

* * *

Bucky had never felt the crushing wave of disappointment so severely before. He stood in shock, half because of the kiss and have in amazement that he already had a crush on this guy and the only time he met him, he didn't even notice he was there.

Bucky watched as the kiss broke apart and Peggy smiled at Steve who was red faced and looked windblown. And then the best and worst thing happened, they locked eyes from across the room and Bucky blood was flooded with adrenaline. 

* * *

Steve had barely realized the kiss was happening before it was over.

He felt flushed and exhilarated and like the room was swaying slightly, which could have been from the beer or the kiss or both, he wasn't entirely sure.

And then he saw him.

His mouth was open and he was looking right at Steve. His dark blue shirt clinging to his chest, his eyes wide, hair mussed, and his lips dark. Steve couldn't look away, his heart hammering in his chest as he felt an electric current race through him.

Sam stepped in front of his line of sight and put a hand on Steve's shoulder.

"You okay?" he asked, "still feeling alright?"

Steve nodded and stood up on his toes to try and see around Sam.

A crowd of people starting moving up the stairs, the party coming to a close as most of its occupants went home. Steve tried to spot him in the crowd, but there were too many people. Maybe he was upstairs.

Then Peggy was standing in front of him, hands on her hips, smiling.

"Can I see your phone?" she asked.

"Sure," replied Steve, looking around only sheepishly now.

"We should do this again some time," she smiled, handing his phone back to him.

"Yeah," said Steve, a different kind of nervous warmth filling him now.

"I have to go help clean up now, but I'll see you around," she said, turning and proceeding up the stairs. 

* * *

Bucky couldn't see him anymore and he desperately tried to regain contact with the guy across the room. His attempts went unnoticed by Gabe who was trying to keep Jim standing up right.

"Help me, will you?" said Gabe, looking down at Jim who had both of his eyes closed and was smiling up at the ceiling. Bucky wrapped an arm around Jim's waist with Gabe and they awkwardly tried to make it up the stairs together.

Much to his disappointment, he couldn't spot the blond anywhere. 

* * *

There was no sign of Clint as they left and they stood outside as Sam sent a last call text before they headed back.

Steve tried to make his glances across the street not look so obvious in front of Sam.

"Well I made out with a hot girl and you got a phone number and a kiss, so I would consider tonight very high on the list of nights we've had out," said Sam, keeping pace with Steve as they walked down the street.

"Mhmm," replied Steve, thinking about the way that guy had looked at him and the way seeing him made him feel, the stinging rush of adrenaline to his system, a bright desire to know what his lips would feel like against Steve's, a sharp wanting.

Thinking about Peggy he felt a warmth come over him, like a blanket around his shoulders or the feeling when you sink into a warm bath.

"Steve, hello?" said Sam, "Did you hear anything I just said?"

"Uh," said Steve, not looking at Sam.

Sam put an arm around Steve and said, "Come on, time to get you to bed." 

* * *

Sam made Steve drink a glass of water before bed and that night Steve dreamt of a different dark haired person kissing him in the basement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh yeah, it's going to be a slow slow burn
> 
> Chapter Title: 7/11 by Beyonce

**Author's Note:**

> this is a work in progress!
> 
> you can follow me on tumblr at sergntbucky.tumblr.com if you would like :)


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